A Carter Christmas tale
by Glossina
Summary: Carter might finally have proof that Santa Clause is real.


I wanted to dedicate this story to my mom, Ruth Peterson, who passed away on January 22 of 2017. Thanks, mom for always believing in me and supporting me.

I've seen a few fan fics where Carter believes in Santa Clause and so I wanted to write one too. I'm sorry that it's too late for Christmas but a serious family illness meant that we didn't celebrate Christmas this year.

Carter and Lebeau stood before Hogan, waiting as their commanding officer looked them over.

"Now remember", Hogan said sternly. "Drop off the micro film and then get right back here".

"We will, we will", Lebeau huffed in annoyance. "Uh...sir", he added contritely when Hogan raised an eyebrow at him.

Hogan nodded, satisfied with Lebeau's contrition. "Go and be safe", he said, giving Lebeau's shoulder a gentle squeeze so that the smaller man knew that all was forgiven. Lebeau flashed Hogan a quick but cheeky grin and then followed Carter down the tunnel and up the ladder.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight", Hogan sighed as he watched his two most vulnerable members leave.

"Want I should go after 'em, Guvnor?" Newkirk asked as he worried his lower lip with his teeth.

Hogan smiled and shook his head. "No, I think I'm just fussing over it because it's Christmas Eve".

Lebeau trudged through the calf deep snow, scowling as more snow dumped on them. "I have a bad feeling about this", he muttered.

"What could go wrong?" Carter asked. "The goons are mostly at home for Christmas and the ones that aren't, aren't going to be coming out in this weather. Anyway, it's Christmas Eve and if we run into any trouble, Santa will just help us out".

"Not this again", Lebeau pleaded exasperatedly. "Andre, how many times do I have to tell you that Santa isn't real. He's made up. He's a fairy tale that parents tell their children".

"You can think what you want", Carter said smugly. "But I know he's real and if we need him, he'll help us".

Lebeau glared at Carter and gave him a shove in the right direction. They had been walking for an hour by then and they were almost to their destination. "Look", Lebeau hissed excitedly, crouching down and pointing. "The barn".

Carter looked and grinned. "Let's go", he urged. "It's cold out here and it'll feel good to get out of the snow".

"Be careful", Lebeau advised. They used the trees and piles of snow to creep close to the barn. When they were close enough, they could see their contact pacing nervously inside. "There she is", Lebeau said. They slipped inside, startling the young woman.

"They say that Spring will come early", Lebeau said as the first part of the code.

"But only if you can see poppies in the field", the woman answered.

"I just hope there are no daisies", Lebeau finished.

The woman smiled tightly. "Where is the micro film?" she asked urgently as she held out her hand.

Lebeau handed over the micro film and then watched as the young woman slipped out of the barn and quickly made her way out into the swirling snow.

Lebeau and Carter watched her for a few minutes and then stepped out of the barn. "Let's get back", Lebeau said grimly. Carter nodded and started to step away but Lebeau grabbed his arm. "Listen", he choked out. Carter listened and then paled. "Dogs", he said worriedly. "They're coming this way".

Lebeau looked around frantically. The dogs were coming from the east and their contact had just taken off to the west. "We have to lead them away from her", Lebeau decided. "The information she has could take down the entire underground".

Carter nodded and then gestured to the south. Let's go this way", he said. "We can lead them away from her. Lebeau nodded back and they set off at a noisy run, hoping that the Germans and dogs would hear them.

They ran and dodged the Germans and dogs for nearly an hour when they came to a frozen pond that was too big to go around. "It's frozen", Carter said. "We could always try to walk across".

Lebeau hesitated but the sounds of dogs barking nearly on their heels made up his mind for him. "Let's go", he decided. They began making their way across but suddenly, the ice under Lebeau began to crack and then, before he knew what happened, he was under the frigid water. He could feel himself sinking under the water when all of a sudden, a large, rough hand closed on the collar of his coat and he was pulled out. Then, he found himself laying on the ground, staring up and four very angry looking German guards. "Fancy meeting you here", he said through chattering teeth.

The biggest guard glared at him and yanked him to his feet and shoved him in Carter's direction. "Get in the truck, you two", he growled.

Lebeau tried to climb in but he was so cold and water logged that he couldn't do it. Carter gently helped him in and then climbed in after him.

Lebeau sighed, exhausted and began shivering again.

Carter looked at him worriedly and then took off his coat and wrapped it around Lebeau and then wrapped his arms around him to help warm him up.

The trip was mercifully short and soon they found themselves at Gestapo head quarters. They climbed from the truck and were then marched inside. The desk guard scowled at Lebeau, who was still shivering and dripping all over the floor. "Put them in the first cell", he snapped to the soldiers.

The German soldiers snapped to attention and nodded and then harshly prodded Lebeau and Carter around a corner and up to the first cell. They motioned to the guard there to open the cell and once it was open, Hogan's men were roughly shoved inside.

Carter helped Lebeau over to one of the bunks and sat him down. "Too bad there's no blankets", Carter sighed.

"Why doesn't your Santa Clause bring us some?" Lebeau muttered tiredly. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and go to sleep but he was so cold and so wet that he didn't dare.

"Maybe he will", Carter said hopefully.

Lebeau just rolled his eyes and grew silent. He wasn't really mad at Carter but it was easier to concentrate on being annoyed than it was to concentrate on how cold he was.

Carter just shrugged and grew quiet.

Two hours later and the guard that had been watching them was ready to go off shift and a new guard was taking his place. Lebeau looked and shook his head, frowning. "I wonder if that's old Schultzie's brother", he smirked.

Carter looked and his eyes widened a little at the girth of the guard. "I think he's probably a good fifty pounds fatter than Schultz", he said.

The new guard wandered down the hallway and then back up before stopping in front of their cell. Both P.O.W.'s stared back at him. He was probably three hundred and fifty pounds and had a full, thick beard of white. He peered closely at them and then pulled a pair of wire rimmed glasses from his coat and put them on. With his flushed cheeks and white beard and the glasses, Carter thought the man looked just like..."Santa?" Carter whispered under his breath.

"What is wrong with the little one?" the guard asked as he pointed to Lebeau.

"He fell through the ice", Carter answered as he put a protective arm around the still shivering Frenchman.

"Wait here", the guard said and then chuckled at the idea of them going anywhere.

The guard walked off and the two men waited in worried silence.

A few minutes later and the guard was back with a blanket and a prisoner's uniform. He pushed them through the bars at Carter. "Get the little one dressed in these", he ordered. "And then wrap the blanket around him. That should warm him up".

Carter nodded and turned to do as he was told.

After he was dressed in warm clothes and had a warm blanket wrapped around him, Lebeau's eyes began to grow heavy. He laid back on one of the bunks and within minutes, he was sound asleep.

Carter put his coat back on and shivered a little at the dampness of it.

The guard came back just then and pushed another blanket through the bars, along with a cup of coffee. "Drink up", the guard said, not unkindly.

Carter wrapped the blanket around him and then sipped at the coffee. "What's going to happen now?" he asked worriedly.

The guard shrugged. "You will be taken to be questioned most likely", he said.

"Taken?" Carter gulped. "Taken where?"

The guard shrugged again. "That is not for me to say", he said before he turned and walked away.

Towards morning, Carter could see their guard talking to the desk guard as they stood at the beginning of the hall but they were speaking softly and he was just a little bit too far away to hear what they were saying. Finally, the desk guard approached and unlocked their cell. He gestured to their guard. "He is going to take you for questioning", he said. "Wake your friend and go".

Carter gently shook Lebeau and handed him his, now dry, uniform and waited til he got dressed. "They're taking us to be questioned", Carter said softly.

Lebeau swallowed nervously and followed Carter and the guard outside to the car. "Get in the back", the guard ordered.

They got in and sat side by side, wearing identical worried expressions.

The guard got in behind the wheel and drove off. As he drove, he looked in the rear view mirror at them. "There are blankets on the floor", he informed them. "You may use them to keep you warm".

"Ummm. Thank you", Carter said as he handed Lebeau a blanket and then wrapped one around himself.

"Merci", Lebeau said a little distrustfully.

They rode for two hours until they came to an ancient looking chalet. The guard stopped the car and got out and then motioned for Carter and Lebeau to follow him. Both men got out, their blankets still wrapped around them and followed the big man inside.

"Where are we?" Lebeau asked and then he let out four loud sneezes.

"You are in my home", the guard said kindly but quietly. "Now go sit on the sofa and I will bring you some warm soup and tea".

"You don't have anything stronger?" Lebeau asked.

"You are getting tea", the man said patiently. "Now go sit down".

Both men went to sit on the sofa and wait for their host to return.

A short time later, the man was back and this time, he was with an woman with white hair piled up in a bun on her head. "Are these the dears?" she asked as she carried a tray over to them. The tray was a beautiful silver tray and it had two bowls of steaming soup on it, plus fresh baked bread and cheese and sausage. She sat the tray near them and then handed them the bowls.

Lebeau looked up at the woman from where he sat, still shivering a little, on the sofa. The woman was plump and sweet looking with white hair and rosey looking cheeks. She reached out and laid a hand on Lebeau's cheek and then frowned. "Kris", she said softly. "The little one is burning with fever".

The guard, who they learned was named Kris, came to stand over Lebeau and he pressed a large, gentle hand on the smaller man's forehead. Kris looked at Carter. "Was your friend ill before you left camp?" he asked.

Carter shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so. He didn't say anything.

"I was starting to feel sick", Lebeau croaked out in a throaty, hoarse voice. "But I didn't want to let Andre go alone and Kinch was already sick in bed and Newkirk was sneezing earlier that day so I had to go".

Carter frowned. "Newkirk was sneezing because I had brought a Sage plant into the barracks and that always makes him sneeze.

Kris sighed and gestured to Lebeau. "Lay back, little one and we will take care of you".

Lebeau froze and looked up at the man. He wanted to trust him but he wasn't quite sure.

Kris sighed. "Lay back", he ordered again.

Reluctantly, Lebeau laid back and settled against a fluffy pillow. Kris smiled kindly and sat on the edge of the sofa. He took the bowl of soup and spooned some up and then held the spoon near Lebeau's lips. "Open up", he said.

Lebeau opened his mouth and let the man spoon the soup in. "You know, you two caused me a lot of trouble", Kris said. "I had something to take care of last night and I wasn't able to do it so I had to get someone to help me".

"What did you have to do?" Carter asked as he watched the older man feed Lebeau the soup carefully and patiently.

"I had some deliveries to make", Kris sighed. "I only do it once a year so it was regrettable that I had to miss it this year".

Carter's eyes widened and he looked at Lebeau but the little Frenchman scowled and shook his head as if to say, Santa does not exist.

Carter shrugged and turned back to Kris. "What were you delivering?" he asked.

"What people want", Kris said. "It's what I do every year", he added softly.

Just then, the woman reentered the room and this time, she had a plate full of sugar cookies. She sat the plate near Carter and smiled when she saw Carter's eyes widen. "Wow, that's my favorite kind of cookie", he exclaimed as he reached for one. "Thank you, mam", he added politely.

"My name is Gretta", she said sweetly. "Kris and I have been married for many years now".

Carter smiled and nodded. "Gosh, that's really swell", he said as he munched on the cookie and reached for another. He turned to speak to Lebeau but the little Frenchman had fallen fast asleep.

Kris chuckled softly and lifted Lebeau up. "I will take the little one to a bedroom and he can sleep for a bit. You may join him if you like" but Carter shook his head. "I'm not really tired, sir".

Kris shrugged and nodded. "Very well, I shall be back shortly". He carried Lebeau from the room and up the hall and then into the second room on the right. He laid him on the bed and covered him up. "Sleep good", he said softly.

Carter sat looking around the room in awe. Everything in there looked as though it was an antique. Gretta had left the room by then and Carter had plenty of time to look around. He startled a little when Kris returned. "So", he said suddenly. "Would you like to see my shop?"

Carter nodded eagerly. "You bet, boy...uh, sir", he said quickly.

Kris smiled and motioned for Carter to follow him.

They walked out of the room and down a different hall from where Lebeau was now sleeping and finally got to the end of the hall and Kris opened up a door and motioned Carter in.

Carter walked in and his jaw dropped. The room was filled with half finished toys of all kinds. "These are swell", Carter exclaimed as he picked up a small, toy horse and looked at it.

Kris smiled and gestured to the horse. "Would you like it?" he asked and Carter nodded. "Gee, thanks", he said happily.

Kris chuckled softly and then handed Carter a wrapped gift. "Open this when I can get you back home", he said kindly and Carter nodded as he took the box.

Carter was yawning by then and Kris led him to the room next to Lebeau's and he let him rest for a while.

They slept for nearly three hours but then Gretta woke them up and gave them something warm to eat before sending them outside to where Kris was waiting for them. "My car has a flat tire so I am taking my old sleigh", he said as he gestured to the worn looking sleigh that had a single reindeer attached to it.

"See, see", Carter whispered as he jabbed Lebeau in the ribs but Lebeau pushed him away and scowled at him. "It is only one reindeer", he growled. "I thought Santa had eight?"

"Let's go, boys", Kris called out and they all climbed into the sleigh. They rode along at a fast clip until they drew up near the tree stump that was their secret entrance. "I'm going to let you boys out here", Kris said with a knowing smile.

They climbed out of the sleigh and Carter remembered at the last minute to take the box that Kris had given him earlier. "What's that?" Lebeau asked.

"Kris said it's for us", Carter answered as they waived good bye to Kris as he drove away in the sleigh.

They climbed down into the tunnels and it was then that they began to worry about how their absences had been explained. They had to have missed at least two roll calls.

Hogan came down into the tunnel just then and frowned at them. "What happened?" he demanded.

"It shouldn't have taken this long".

The two men began to quickly talk, trying to explain what had happened to them.

"And then while we were running from the dogs we saw a big frozen pond and...".

"But then when the soldier pulled me out...".

"And he looked just like Santa Clause", Carter blurted out when there was a lull in the fast paced conversation.

"So let me get this straight", Hogan said angrily. "You were crazy enough to try to cross a frozen pond, not knowing if it would hold your weight, fell through, got pulled out and arrested by German soldiers, got taken way by some fat, bearded man and then he fed you and brought you hear and NOW", he erupted in angry disbelief, "Now, you are telling me that the man was Santa Clause?"

"He is telling you that", Lebeau protested. "I do not think he was Santa Clause".

"He...he gave us this", Carter stammered out nervously as he held up the box that Kris had given him.

Hogan snatched the box from Carter's hands and opened it and then...he just stared.

"Guvnor?" Newkirk said as he came close to Hogan. He had heard the whole thing but had decided to let Hogan handle it without any input on his part. It all just sounded to strange.

"Get Kinch down here", Hogan said distractedly.

"But, Kinchy is down with a cold", Newkirk said softly.

"Just...just go get him", Hogan said as if in a daze.

Newkirk nodded and climbed the ladder.

A few minutes later, Newkirk was climbing back down the ladder and he was followed by Kinch.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Kinch sniffled sleepily, still sick from a cold.

Hogan nodded. "Sit down", he said, gesturing to the chair at Kinch's radio table. Kinch sat and waited for Hogan to speak.

Instead of speaking, Hogan reached into the box and pulled out a brightly wrapped package and handed it to Kinch.

Kinch's eye brows went up in surprise. "Thanks, sir", he said. "Ummm. You shouldn't have. I didn't get the chance to...".

"It's not from me", Hogan said. "Just open it. I...I want to know what's inside".

Kinch's eye brows rose even more. "Uhhh. Okay", he said and then he slowly opened the gift. "Wow", he said as he saw the warm socks and scarf and a brand new book. He opened up the book and inside was a neatly written message. Keep warm and entertained as you recover, it said. Kinch grinned and then sneezed and right then, a stack of handkerchiefs spilled from the wrapping paper and onto the table. He picked one up and wiped his nose.

"This one's for you", Hogan said as he handed a rather flat looking package to Carter.

Carter opened it up and inside was a stack of brand new, American comic books.

"Gee whiz", Carter cried out. "I been missing having some since I got here".

"Lebeau?" Hogan said, handing over an oddly shaped package. "Lebeau opened his package and his eyes bugged out. "Colonel", he said softly. "These are the best knives that a chef could ever ask for. "I remember my papa having some in his restaurant before the war".

Hogan stared at Lebeau for a minute and then handed a package to Newkirk. "Open it", he said quietly.

Newkirk opened his and grinned. There was a brand new deck of cards, a carton of cigarettes and a new zippo lighter. "Would you look at this", he crowed happily.

Hogan pulled the last one out and looked at the tag, it was for him. He opened it up and there was a box of the finest cigars and a bottle of schnapps.

"We...we better get up there", Hogan said. "For some reason, Klink let us slide on roll call but he's not going to keep doing that".

"There hasn't been a roll call since we left?" Lebeau asked and Hogan shook his head. "I think Klink was having his own celebration and didn't want to be interrupted".

Just then, Olson leaned down through the tunnel opening and yelled down to Hogan. "Sir, you better get up here", he said, his voice sounding strained.

"Is Klink calling for a roll call?" Hogan asked.

There was silence for a minute and then he could hear Olson's voice again, hesitant and strained. "No, sir. It's...you better just come up, sir", finished lamely.

Hogan frowned and climbed up the ladder, wondering what could have shaken Olson up so much.

He got up into the barracks and was followed by Kinch, Carter, Newkirk and Lebeau.

"What's going on up here?" Hogan asked abruptly, his concern growing in leaps and bounds.

"Sir", Olson said, gesturing around the room. "Look".

Hogan looked and his jaw dropped. Every man had a gift on his bunk. His head snapped around and he stared at Carter who simply smiled smugly and shrugged. "Told you guys he was real".


End file.
